Two Santa Monica high school juniors from Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences, Luca Mendoza and Ethan Treiman, have been named to the class of 2015-2017 esteemed LA Philharmonic Composer Fellowship Program, a multi-year program that offers four select high school composers consistent, intense focus on the process and production of music composition. Participants will have a chance to work alongside some of today's greatest composers. Treiman and Mendoza will be privy to the orchestra's rehearsals and concerts while being mentored by esteemed members of the LA Philharmonic Orchestra; furthermore, they will be partaking in the creative process from start to finish and composing two original pieces to be performed by the orchestra in Disney Concert Hall.
Treiman's musical background includes courses in music theory taught by Mary Ann Cummins and Richard Grayson, voice with Vida Simon and classical piano with Nathanael Pangrazio. His passion is in musical theater and drama and he has acted in several theater shows at Crossroads. He is inspired by the music of George Gershwin, Claude Debussy, and Alberto Ginastera, along with John Williams and Stephen Sondheim. He enjoys running Cross Country and Track, and hopes to one day compose music for stage and film.
Mendoza plays piano in Crossroads' top combo, which recently performed at the Panama Jazz Festival. His accolades this year include Outstanding Solo Award at the 2015 Monterey NextGen Jazz Festival, Honorable Mention Jazz recipient of the 2015 LA Music Center Spotlight, first place in two 2015 Downbeat Student Music Awards, the 2015 National Young Arts Foundation Winner for Jazz piano performance and letterman on the varsity swim team. He studies jazz with Alan Pasqua and classical piano performance with Rina Dokshitsky.
Founded in 2007 by Pulitzer-Prize-Winning Composer, Steven Stucky, the Composer Fellowship Program will commence at the end of September and will give the few lucky participants the tools and freedom to shape the future of concert music.
